They'll never know.

Snow was falling harder now. White flurries swirled around me as I moved through the snow on the ground towards my cabin. This was my third week in Northern Canada, and tomorrow, I would be crossing the border into Alaska.

I struggled with the door for a moment, before making a foot wide gap between the door and the frame so I could squeeze myself inside. The inside of the cabin was small, yet cozy. There was a fireplace going strong in the corner. The wooden walls were a soft orange from the fire's glow.

I stomped to remove some snow from my boots, then shook off my coat. Once I was mostly snow free, I took off my jacket, and hung it next to the door. I stripped out of the several layers I was wearing, and set them on the ground next to the fire.

I suddenly felt extremely exposed. I wrapped my shivering arms around my chest, and looked around. I was alone.

Something about the atmosphere of the frigid cold, dark nights had gotten to me. Whenever I photographed a mountain or sunset, I had felt as though someone was watching me.

"You're safe. You're alone. You are overreacting." I said out loud to myself. Still feeling slightly weird, I sat down on the edge of the bed. It was queen sized, sitting parallel to the fireplace. The bed creaked as I sat down on it.

Pulling my frozen feet up to sit Indian style, I pulled my camera out of it's case. The plastic and metal was cold, but my hands quickly warmed the buttons up. I turned it on, and took a picture of the fire. I pressed the 'Play' button to see the picture I'd taken.

My eyes instantly locked on it; In the picture, there was a hand poking out from under my bed. My heartbeat sky-rocketed, and I froze. Staying as quiet as I possibly could, I slowly rotated the camera around and faced it at the floor where I had seen the hand. I was holding the camera out over the side of the bed, exposing my hands.

I pushed the button, then drew my arms back into my body. I flipped the camera around silently, and pressed the 'Play' button again.

My face went white as I saw a face in the picture. A man's face, with wide, possessed eyes replaced the hand.

I shrieked and threw myself backwards towards the other side of the bed. I head the.. thing scramble out from under the bed. It's hand clawed up over the side of the bed, reaching for me.

I screamed as loud as my throat would let me, and jumped back against the wall.

"My.. aren't you pretty?" The thing said, his eyes wide with lust and greed. His nostrils were flaring, and his teeth were poking out from between his blackened lips.

My heart solidified, knowing that I was trapped in this cabin with him.

We were both still, waiting for the other to make the first move. Suddenly, I looked past his face, and saw the fire. But it wasn't the fire that I was interested in. I was interested in the poker next to the fire.

It was black with a rusted handle, and a sharp point on the opposite end.

He noticed what I was looking at, and dove across the bed. I shrieked, and dodged his hand...but just barely.

I sprinted past the foot of the bed, praying that I would make it to the poker before he had time to turn around.

His hand grabbed onto my left arm just as my right hand grasped the end of the poker. I ripped it off the hook on the wall, and shoved the pointed end into the fire. He tightened his grip, and reached over with his other hand to add resistance.

As soon as the tip of the poker grew red, and swung it around to his face. He cried out in deserved agony as the point of the poker clashed against his cheekbone. He instantly released my arm, and I repositioned the grip.

I leaped towards the door, keeping my eyes on him as he writhed in pain. I turned the handle, and pushed. Pushed... pushed....

"SHIT!!" I screamed, realizing that more snow had fallen against the outside of the door, making it almost impossible to open.

The man regained control, and lunged towards me, but I smashed the still-hot poker against his face. As he pulled away, a small bit of his charred flesh stuck to the poker. Although I wanted to vomit at the grisly sight, I kept calm.

He stumbled backwards, and fell onto the bed, clutching at his singed face.

I turned my attention towards the door momentarily, so I could escape. The snow wasn't budging, but packing into an even harder wall that I had to break down.

Suddenly, an idea hit me.

I slammed the poker down onto his head as hard as I possibly could. He groaned, and rolled onto the floor limply. But I wasn't taking any chances.

I threw myself towards the fire, and shoved the end of the poker into the hot coals. I watched it turn red...orange.....yellow.....then almost white.

I yanked it out, dodged the animal laying on the floor, and pushed the poker out through a small crack I had made between the door and the door frame. I heard the snow sizzle and pop as the scalding end of the poker melted the snow away from the door. My hand began burning, but I knew I couldn't stop.

Running the poker blindly over as much snow as I possibly could, I saw him begin to stir. I slammed all of my body weight against the door, and it slid open about a foot.

I squeezed my body through the space, and so did the freak. Still holding the poker, I jabbed it into one of his eyes. He squealed like an animal, and fell backwards. I stayed still a moment, snow slamming into my body like icy bricks.

I heard nothing.

Even though I only had on underwear, two pairs of socks, a shirt, sweater and jeans, I dashed out into the cold darkness.